§ Mr. Marlowasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the Minister of State's reply to the hon. Member for Northampton, North on 9 April, Official Report, c. 317, how membership of the European Community offers the best opportunity of establishing a satisfactory conservation policy for fish in the waters of Northern Europe; and how this policy operates in respect of Iceland and Norway.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe satisfactory conservation of fisheries in the waters of Northern Europe depends on the cooperation of all the countries with rights to fish in the area. Such co-operation is more effective within the EEC as is illustrated by the agreement last September on a satisfactory conservation regime for member States' waters in the area and by broad agreement on a system of control.
The Community has a number of framework agreements with other European States which provides for the rational management of joint stocks and requires each party to respect conservation measures applying within the other's fishery limits. Such an agreement has been reached with Norway and negotiations are in progress with Iceland.